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Thank you to The Smiling Victorian group
Victorians Smiling II
If you like this, check out:
Old Japan in 3D
Victorian Star Wars
Rescue Masks, 1800s
Happy Retronautic Easter
Map of the Last U.S. Slave Census 1860
Dante's Google Circles of Hell
Tudor Bestiary, 1520
'Snowball Fight',1896
'Esso Supply All These Motoring Needs...' Ad, 1970
100x100
British Vogue, 1960s
Vintage Sportswomen
The New Gypsies
Weather Forecaster Auditionees, 1983
Technical Cutaways, 1940s, by Frank Soltesz
Woman before and after tuberculosis, 1850/1856
Retro-futurism in French Children's Encyclopedias, 1945-1975 
Retro Life by Jena Ardell
Weegee's murder photographs, 1935-1946
Reconstructing the White House, 1948-1952
Colour photographs of the German Front, WWI
These are beautiful! Something about the smiles make the photos so real and accessible. You can so easily imagine them in modern clothes, so similar to the people of today!
#3 is Edward Norton time traveling.
Whoops, I meant #4 is Edward Norton time traveling. (It says 5 when you mouse over it).
Lovely to see another one of these, the original was one of my very favourites from this site.
Me too, Estelle
Looking at the fashions, e.g. the shirt waist worn by a few of the subjects, seems that quite a few – if not most of these images – are post 1901, and actually, really should be labelled Edwardian, not Victorian. Or am I wrong?
That first one looks like Hailee Steinfeld!
These are great photos, but there is something very striking about the first one. That girl seems like she wouldn’t look out of place in today’s world.
Once again, these are wonderful; a real glimpse into the past – or a glimpse into the real past
Phil, you are right! The Flickr group “The Smiling Victorian” specifies that they accept pictures from the Edwardian period, too, which is why pictures (like the fifth one, of my great-great grandmother in May of 1902) appear.
These photos are so incredible–like everyone says, once they’re smiling, they look just like people today. This site is amazing.
Yes, I was thinking that these pictures reminded me of one taken of my grandmother in 1914 or so… she would be 102 today. Same boots and hair. The changes see saw in her lifetime are mind-boggling–I am almost scared to think of the changes I might see if I am lucky and live as long as she did!
It’s good to see that people of the Victorian era were actually able to smile. The only true Victorian I ever had extended contact with was my gran Katherine Macomber, and I swear she never ONCE smiled in my presence.
awww their teeth arent that bad. thats the only reason ive heard for why they never smile
No wonder they are laughing. Most of them were off their heads on barbiturates that they bought over the counter at the cemist for 2d a throw!!
The first photo in the bunch is absolutely incredible. Hauntingly beautiful expression. The eyes are hypnotising, drawing your gaze into the picture,not wanting to look away.
I agree with the others saying the first girl look so modern and haunting..
Thank you for the message.
Steven
“their teeth arent that bad. thats the only reason ive heard for why they never smile”
While that certainly could be true, a much more likely reason is the film. I don’t know what speed films they had available to them then but “slow” film required special accommodation. After the American Civil War but before the turn of the century photography continued to use stands to help people remain motionless for the 30 seconds or so required to properly expose the film. This pose doesn’t lend itself to smiling.
This resulted in a lack of action pictures from this period. You generally don’t see people running, or riding by on a horse. The result of movement produces blurred images or even a ghostly picture with everything stationary appearing just fine but anything in motion not appearing.
Well, that’s my two bits anyway.
It would be super cool to get som background info on these photos. For example in a comment above 14 October Sandi tells us that’s her grandmother in one of the pics. Why not put some info about who, why and when under the photos?